Contractor named for new Kingston intermediate & secondary school

Bondfield Construction has been awarded the contract to build the Limestone District School Board’s new Kingston intermediate & secondary school on the Lyons and Kirkpatrick site.

Bondfield was awarded the contract from among seven construction firms following a pre-qualification and tender process. Bondfield, a family-owned construction company with offices in Concord and Kanata, Ontario, previously built the École Sir John A. Macdonald Public School as well as dozens of other elementary and secondary schools throughout Ontario.

Since receiving Ministry of Education approval at the end of August, Board staff and new school architects ZAS Architects Inc. have been working to ensure the site is ready, building permits are available and contract documents are in order.

“We are so pleased to award the tender for the new intermediate and secondary school has been issued and construction can begin,” says Director of Education Debra Rantz. “We know there is great excitement to see work begin on this modern, accessible and welcoming learning facilities that will ensure all students have access to a wider range of course offerings in all program pathways to help them achieve success.”

The 171,000-square-foot facility will accommodate 1,340 students (240 intermediate students and 1,100 secondary students), and will include English programs in university, college and workplace pathways, including the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, and intermediate and secondary extended French and French Immersion (Module Vanier). The building will feature 34 secondary classrooms and 9 intermediate classrooms including:

The building will feature several green construction features including modern ventilation with air conditioning and heat recovery systems to reduce lost energy; high levels of insulation and high performance glazing systems; improvement of natural daylight to reduce reliance on artificial lighting; lighting and occupancy sensors; Building Automation Systems to optimize energy use; use of low VOC paints and adhesives to improve indoor air quality; and high use of local and recyclable building materials.

Construction on the $38.3 million facility will begin within the next few weeks. A ceremonial ground- breaking will take place later this fall.

In the meantime, students from the former QECVI feeder schools and KCVI feeder schools continue to be integrated at KCVI in preparation for the new school. An Integration Committee made up of students, staff and families from the affected schools has met several times already to help facilitate and provide input on the school design, name and school transition activities, including honouring and incorporating artifacts and other memorabilia from each of the schools. This fall and winter, the committee will seek input on the new school name. Watch for more details coming soon.

The new school is expected to be complete for the 2019-2020 school year.